Laura Putnam of Finding Home has some very simple garage organization tips that can tame the clutter in what’s often the most cluttered part of the house.

Garage Organization Tips

Sports are in full swing, DIY projects are being planned out and the garden tools are ready to be put to work. In other words, our garage has finally woken up from a very long and sleepy winter. Last year, we did a huge overhaul to our garage to make it work better for us. After a few months of using it, we have found there were a few areas that needed some changes so that we could be even more organized.

Today, I want to share with you my garage organization tips.

Don’t be afraid to use free-standing furniture.

I am a big fan of using the walls and ceilings for storage in the garage. As you can see in the top picture, we even hang our bikes from the ceiling.

However, at a certain point you run out of space. We had some small things that had no real place to go and were just being shoved wherever a spot could be found. I used this cube organizer and the fabric bins to house things like work gloves, sports shoes and some gardening supplies.

It works perfectly in this odd spot because it has a solid back so I don’t have to worry about the bins falling through to the other side. It also allows this somewhat unusable space to become a very useful area. And let’s face it, garages are not always filled with the prettiest things in the world. Why not use a really beautiful storage unit that is also really functional?

Adding some simple labels to the bins will help keep things organized all the way through the season. The sturdy build of these bins also makes it easy to bring one where you need it and then easily put in back in the cubbies.

When you are short on space, use stackable bins.

Our garage seems to have an endless supply of fittings, hardware and parts to everything you can imagine. The best way to organize these types of items is by grouping them into bins and containers. However, lots of bins takes up a lot of space quickly. For our spring organizing, I used these stackable bins. I added labels for clarity, but I love that they are clear so that I can easily see what is in inside of them. However, their best feature is that the front opens to access the contents while still keeping them stacked.

I had several messy boxes filled with an assortment of items that are now neatly grouped and easily accessible. I don’t need to unstack them to get what I need so they will stay organized.

Find storage solutions that fit in the spaces you have.

They are perfect for organizing tools and larger items. They also allow a space that would have been somewhat unusable to now be a great place to maximize storage. They keep everything contained while still being accessible to get what you need and put it away.

Have a spot for your unfinished projects.

I had such high hopes for some projects this past fall and winter. However, the cold got the best of me and I ran back inside for the warmth of indoor projects. As a result, the unfinished projects sat on the workbench collecting dust and being in the way. Now, I have a designated wooden crate to hold all of the projects still to be finished. When the mood strikes or time allows, I will quickly and easily be able to get to a project and get started. If I don’t finish a project, I will have a place to put it away until I have more time.

Don’t overlook corners for storage space.

As I was organizing, I realized there were a handful of items that I just did not know where to put. Our shelves were filling and there was no more wall space. However, there was one little corner next to our work bench. Instead of just setting things in that corner, I first organized them into milk crates. Not only does this keep everything together and more organized, it also gave me the ability to stack two of them. Now, I can either grab what I need or bring the crate where I am working and easily put everything back.

If there is anything I have learned in organizing our garage it is that you have to have systems in place. If you have everything in a bin but you have to pull everything apart to get to them, more than likely it is going to be a mess again really quick. We have worked to make sure our organizing systems not only contain everything we need, but also keep them very accessible. We are also working as a family on keeping up with cleaning and organizing the garage regularly just like we need to do inside. Simple tasks like sweeping and wiping down surfaces are part of our routine now.

Now, when we enter our garage it is welcoming and not overwhelming. Of course, it helps that not only is our storage functional, but it is pretty and colorful as well!